NCRI – Iranian Workers’ free trade union in a statement issued on May 4, commemorated the sorrowing death of Yurt miners and held the Iranian regime accountable for this crime. Free Trade Union in its statement writes: “explosion in Azadshahr’s Yurt mine in Golestan and burying dozens of suffering miners under the rubble, once again exposed the highest degree of harrowing crimes of Iranian regime and brought to public attention the lack of Iranian working class’ rights”.
The statement went on referring to the plight of subsistence workers conditions, adding: “These workers were working with monthly salaries of $195 -205 last year and with a monthly salary of $215 this year, 11 months unpaid salaries, 5 days’ pay of insurance per week and a 16 hours shift a day at a depth of 1800 meters with high risk of physical injuries and life-threatening condition.”
Iranian Workers’ free trade’s union statement after describing a number of regime’s suppressive treatments against workers, has posed the question: “in a country that workers are constantly protesting for their unpaid salaries, and tens of them are subjected to so called national security related trials?” expecting something called workplace safety Is naive.
In a country where mine workers are gradually dying of hunger! Would that be possible to save the lives deep down the earth?
Does workplace safety mean anything in a country where workers are deprived of their minimum wages, and their salaries are far below the poverty line and even that low set of salaries are often not paid on time?
Is it possible to expect the owners of capital spend money for the workplace safety in a society that its workers and teachers don’t have independent organizations to defend their rights as human?
Is it possible to provide modern workplace safety standards by the government and employers in a country where workers and teachers are drag impaled with security cases, and are interrogated blindfolded in solitary confinements, tortured and condemned with lengthy jail time from 5 to 17 years?
The statement finally has emphasized at his labor promise and adds: “We are holding existing system of labor exploitation in Iran accountable for its highest degree of lack of labor rights of workers’ class and loss of lives of our covenants in Yurt mine. Here, we promise them that we are more determined than ever that we won’t rest even a moment in our fight to end the current tragic situation of working class. It is not much far off those days that all those responsible for crimes against workers, be held accountable in the courts of justice”.